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10 Slavic Gods You Should Know About

Lovely, intriguing, interesting and also just a bit scary

BarbaraJackson (CC0), Pixabay

Slavic pantheon is rich like in the case of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and other ancient groups of deities. It is impossible to mention all of the Slavic gods in one article, and each region had own local deities. Thus, we present the list of the most popular Slavic male deities, who supported Slavs for millennia.

1.  Svetovid

One of the most important Slavic deities. Sometimes he is believed to be a variant of god Perun, but usually, it is accepted that he was a completely different deity. Sometimes Svetovid was depicted on the white horse, more often with a bow or sword in one hand and… drinking horn in the other. Sounds a little bit like Odin, right? Some researchers believe that when Christianity came to Slavic countries, Svetovid was transformed into St. Vitus. [read more about Svetovid]

2. Jarilo

When people were about to take care of their crops, they asked Jarilo for support. Especially if the time of harvest took a place during the times of war. As a deity related to both of these aspects, harvest, and war, but also spring and vegetation, he supported the growth of the cops. Until the end of the 19th century in many Slavic countries (especially Serbia, Belarus and Russia) was a special fest called Jarilo. It was celebrated in late spring or early summer. [read more about Jarilo]

3. Dažbog

He was the sun god, whose fame became so huge that he started to be considered as a culture hero. People used to ask him for help when they desired wealth. He was the patron of the ones who wanted to carry the power in their hands. Serbian version of legend describes him as a lord of the underground, quite dark but also impressive God, whose attributes are precious metals. [read more about Dažbog]

4. Perun

His weapons were thunders and lightning. He was a supreme god, one of the most powerful among the Slavic Deities. He was related to many different attributes. Actually, there were so many, that we can conclude that Perun was a god of everything on Earth, but month the most important were iris, oak, eagle, weapons, horses, carts, mountains, wind, water, etc. [read more about Perun]

5. Veles

His kingdom was the underworld, the corridors of the earth and waters. You can try to find him in the wet areas. He was believed to be bearded deity interested in music, magic, and trickery. Veles loved wealth, so very often appeared in rituals or celebrations related to harvesting. Moreover, some researchers believe that he was a Slavic version f Mitra. [read more about Veles]

6. Rod

The one who created all that exists, the supreme god who was the birth-giver. One of the deities that scared the Christianity so much that he was often mentioned in didactic works presenting pagans as followers of evilish power. His cult was popular in all of the Slavic regions. [read more about Rod]

7. Berstuk

Who said that all the gods are supportive? Berstuk was the evil god of the forest. This one, known as the forest spirit was often called ”the deity of evil”. He had a tricky as evilish nature, liked to spend time in the wild areas of the forests and looked a little bit like faun- had a human appearance with the goat legs.

8. Svarog

Some people call him the Slavic Hephaistos, and there is a lot of sense in it. He was a god of fire whose support was truly appreciated in Goldsmith. He was also a solar deity, whose celestial fire supported the ones who worked in a blacksmithing. Most of the information about him remains unknown, but some survived in the book known as the Hypatian Codex. [read more about Svarog]

9. Hors

When the sun appeared in the sky during the winter, people knew that God Hors helps them survive demanding time. He was a healer, whose support meant the winning over the illness. He brought healing and calming energy. He appeared in a famous text titled ”Tale of Igor’s Campaign.

10. Stribog

He was a god of winds, air, and sky. Among the Slavic gods, he was the one who is believed to be the grandfather of the winds of the eight directions. Several Polish and Russian villages and lands were named to honor Stribog. For example the village Strzyboga near Skierniewice in Poland. Stribog was a popular character of Croatian legends.

What do you think?

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